Inflatable water attraction and ride vehicle

ABSTRACT

A water or other amusement attraction or ride vehicle that includes an inflatable portion or material. A coating or sheet is applied to at least a part of the inflatable portion for achieving a desired amount of friction between the inflatable portion and a sliding surface and/or a rider that makes contact therewith. More than one coating or sheet may be disposed on varying portions of the inflatable portion with greater or less frictional coefficients configured to alter rider movement. The inflatable portion inflates flat and the coating or sheet may be a flexible coating or sheet that is configured to allow for movement of the inflatable portion during use. A rider may travel from an entry area to an exit area along the sliding surface that incorporates inflatable portions. A plantroom for housing equipment, such as water pumps, may make up a portion of the entry end.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/828,607, filed on May 29, 2013, entitled“INFLATABLE WATER ATTRACTION AND RIDE VEHICLE,” which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates generally to amusement attractions, suchas wave machines, or ride vehicles for use on amusement attractions.More particularly, the present invention relates to amusement or waterattractions or ride vehicles for use thereon that incorporate one ormore inflatable areas or portions.

2. Description of the Related Art

Water attractions (e.g., waterslides, surfing slides or machines,boogie-boarding slides, etc.) are a popular entertainment activityduring periods of warm weather. Conventional water attractions arecommonly made of fiberglass or other rigid or semi-rigid materials thatprovide a smooth and slippery surface for supporting a flow of waterthereon to transport a rider from an entrance to an exit. A variety ofdifferent types of ride vehicles (e.g., inner tubes, body boards,surfboards, floatation devices, etc.) may be used by the rider when therider travels along the water attraction by supporting the rider as theride vehicle slides along the sliding surface.

Maintaining low friction between the rider (or a ride vehicle that therider rides upon) and the sliding surface that supports the flow ofwater helps ensure the ride is exciting or thrilling since the lower thefriction on the sliding surface of the water attraction, typically thegreater the speed that the rider may achieve. Lower friction between therider and the sliding surface can also increase the comfort of the ridersince it aids in preventing undesirable rubbing on the rider's skin ortugging at the rider's swimsuit. When using a ride vehicle, low frictioncan also aid in lengthening the life of the ride vehicle and the waterattraction due to reduced wear and tear to each of the ride vehicle andthe water attraction as the ride vehicle travels down the waterattraction, which can reduce maintenance or install costs.

One type of water attraction that has proven a popular lure for patronsto water or other amusement parks or venues is the surfing machine orsimulator. These machines may be used both for entertainment purposes aswell as training purposes for helping instruct individuals that may bewary or otherwise unable to surf out in the open ocean. Conventionalsurf machines utilize water pumps cooperating with nozzles or jets toflow a layer of water over a surface that allows riders to skim atop thewater flow. A sliding surface of the surf machines is conventionally arigid or semi-rigid, low-friction surface that supports maneuvering byriders upon a conventional or modified surfboard or boogie board.

Unfortunately, users without much surfing experience, either in theocean or upon surfing machines, commonly fall off of the board duringearly attempts at using surfing machines. The surfaces of theseapparatuses make uncomfortable contact with a rider upon the rider'sfalling off of their board. Moreover, the risk of falling while walkingon conventional surf machines (e.g., when entering or exiting theportion of the ride to be surfed upon) is heightened since the surfingmachine surface must commonly be manufactured to be slippery in order toadequately allow for low-friction between a rider's board and thesurface of the ride.

As the surfing machine market becomes more popular, water venuesincreasingly look to new surfing machines that can provide novelexperiences to riders or improve comfort or safety to riders interactingtherewith. Moreover, as the surfing industry becomes more sophisticatedand the influence of extreme sports becomes more popular, more extremestanding waves created by such surfing machines is desired in order tosatisfy the thrill anticipated by these new generation of users, bothadults and children. As new surfing machines are developed, particularlythose with more extreme characteristics, safety concerns,maneuverability, and rider comfort must be adequately addressed.

Thus, an improved water attraction configured to help ensure ridersafety, reduce rider discomfort, and/or to improve rider maneuverabilityis desired. Ideally, the water attraction would allow a rider to makecontact with the surface of the water attraction, for example, uponfalling off of a ride vehicle, with reduced risk of injury ordiscomfort. Moreover, the water attraction would ideally permit improvedcontrol, either by the rider themselves, or by the ride designer and/oroperator, over the speed, location, orientation, or othermaneuverability characteristic as the rider uses the water attraction.

SUMMARY

An amusement attraction and/or ride vehicle using inflatable materialsand/or coatings are disclosed. In one embodiment, an amusementattraction may include a sliding surface configured to support a riderthereon, the sliding surface extending from a first area to a secondarea and wherein at least a part of the sliding surface includes aninflatable material, and a first coating applied to at least a portionof the inflatable material.

In another embodiment, a water attraction may include a sliding surfaceconfigured to support a rider thereon, the sliding surface extendingfrom an entry end to an exit end and wherein at least a part of thesliding surface is an inflatable material, a first coating applied to afirst portion of the inflatable material and configured to aid insliding the rider from the entry end to the exit end along the slidingsurface, and a second coating applied to a second portion of theinflatable material and configured to slow the rider after the riderslides along the sliding surface.

In still another embodiment, a ride vehicle for a rider to use on anamusement attraction may include a first material defining a firstsurface, at least a portion of the first surface configured to contactat least a portion of the rider, the first surface having a front end, arear end, and a side end, an inflatable material coupled with the firstmaterial and defining a second surface, at least a portion of the secondsurface configured to contact a sliding surface of the amusementattraction, and a first flexible coating applied to the inflatablematerial for lowering a frictional force exerted by the sliding surfaceof the water attraction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the artupon examination of the following figures and detailed description. Itis intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.Component parts shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale andmay be exaggerated to better illustrate the important features of thepresent invention. In the drawings, like reference numerals designatelike parts throughout the different views, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a bottom view of a ride vehicle having more than one typeof material with differing coefficients of friction according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A shows a top view of a ride vehicle having an inflatable portionaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B shows a bottom view of the ride vehicle of FIG. 2A according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2C shows a side view of the ride vehicle of FIG. 2A according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2D shows a front view of the ride vehicle of FIG. 2A according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a water attraction having aninflatable portion and side containments according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of a water attraction having aninflatable portion and a permanent plantroom structure according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B shows a side view of the water attraction of FIG. 4A accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4C shows a top view of the water attraction of FIG. 4A according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of a water attraction having aninflatable portion and a permanent plantroom structure with waternozzles at an upper elevation of the plant room according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B shows a top view of the water attraction of FIG. 5A according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5C shows a side view of the water attraction of FIG. 5A accordingto an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A shows a rear perspective view of a water attraction having aninflatable portion according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B shows a front perspective view of the water attraction of FIG.6A according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6C shows a top view of the water attraction of FIG. 6A according toan embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6D shows a side view of the water attraction of FIG. 6A accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description of exemplary embodiments herein makes referenceto the accompanying drawings and pictures, which show the exemplaryembodiments by way of illustration and its best mode. While theseexemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable thoseskilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understoodthat other embodiments may be realized and that logical and mechanicalchanges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented forpurposes of illustration only and not of limitation. For example, thesteps recited in any of the method or process descriptions may beexecuted in any order and are not limited to the order presented.Moreover, any of the functions or steps may be outsourced to orperformed by one or more third parties. Furthermore, any reference tosingular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than onecomponent may include a singular embodiment.

Water attractions may incorporate a sliding surface configured tosupport a rider thereon, either upon a ride vehicle or without a ridevehicle, as the rider travels from one end or area of the waterattraction to another. One type of water attraction is a downward slopedwater ride that moves a rider at a fast speed from one area to another.Another type of water attraction is a body skimming attraction where aflow of water is provided over a sliding surface and counteracts thepull of gravity of a user on the sliding surface such that the user mayskim atop the water, using either their body and/or a ride vehicle.Still another type of water attraction is a surfing attraction orsimulator that uses a flow of water over a surface that a rider may skimon top of. These surfing attractions are products may use a thin (e.g.,sheet) flow of water or a deeper (e.g., standing wave) flow of water.Riders may skim or ride on top of the water using a boogie board, bodyboard, surfboard, or any other type of riding vehicle, whetherinflatable or not and whether configured to be stood upon, sat upon,laid upon, or otherwise in contact with a portion of a body of therider. Any of these exemplary water attractions, and other amusementattractions, may incorporate the concepts discussed in greater detailherein.

Turning first to FIG. 1, a bottom view of a ride vehicle 100 having morethan one type of material is shown. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,the ride vehicle 100 is in the form of a body board configured tosupport a rider thereon for use in a water attraction. Alternativeembodiments may utilize modified dimensions or different shapes, sizes,or configurations other than those explicitly illustrated in theembodiment of FIG. 1. The ride vehicle 100 may additionally oralternatively be configured for use in attractions that use other typesof fluid or lubrication for sliding a rider down a portion of a slidingsurface, for example, snow, air, glycerin, etc.

The ride vehicle 100 has a front end 102 and a rear end 104. A riderpositions themselves on the ride vehicle 100 with their head positionednear or adjacent to the front end 102 and their legs or feet positionednear or adjacent to the rear end 104. A bottom surface 110 is configuredto slide along a sliding surface of a water attraction while a topsurface (not shown) of the ride vehicle 100 makes contact with one ormore parts of the rider's body and supports the rider as the ridertravels along the water attraction. In an alternative embodiment, theride vehicle 100 may be used to support the rider in other positions(e.g., backwards, sitting down, standing up, etc.).

The bottom surface 110 of the ride vehicle 100 is made up of aninflatable material. The bottom surface 110 being made of an inflatablematerial may provide a softer and/or more maneuverable landing to ridersif the ride vehicle 100 and the rider go airborne during travel along awater attraction. The inflatable material may be any of a variety oftypes of materials and may make up all or a portion of the bottomsurface 110. In the preferred embodiment, the inflatable materialinflates flat or substantially flat. In one embodiment, the inflatablematerial that inflates flat may be a drop stitch material. In certainembodiments, the inflatable material may be replaceable on the ridevehicle 100 in order to allow for repair or replacement when frictiondue to the sliding surface of the water attraction wears down the bottomsurface 110 to undesirable levels. The bottom surface 110 being aninflatable portion that can be replaced may reduce cost since only aportion of the ride vehicle 100 need be replaced due to wear and tearinstead of purchasing an entirely new ride vehicle 100. The replaceableinflatable portion may additionally allow individuals or park operatorsto purchase the ride vehicle 100 and customize it with more costlydecals, paintjobs, etc. than might otherwise be feasible since theentire ride vehicle 100 need not require replacement when the bottomsurface does. In an alternative embodiment, the bottom surface 110 neednot be inflatable, but may comprise any other type of cushioned and/orslippery material.

The bottom surface 110 of the ride vehicle 100 is coated with a firstflexible coating or material 120 and a second flexible coating ormaterial 130. The first flexible coating or material 120 has a lowercoefficient of friction than the second flexible coating or material130. The first flexible coating or material 120 is disposedsubstantially in a center or middle area on the bottom surface 110 ofthe ride vehicle 100 for promoting increased speed when sliding on thesliding surface of the water attraction. The second flexible coating ormaterial 130 is disposed substantially along the side or perimeter areason the bottom surface 110 of the ride vehicle 100 for promotingincreased grip with the sliding surface of the water attraction andthereby encourages the board to turn or rotate when in contact with thesliding surface. In an alternative embodiment, an inflatable portion ofa ride vehicle may only exist in areas of the board where low frictionis desired (e.g., where the first flexible coating or material 120 is tobe disposed).

An alternative embodiment may use greater or fewer flexible coatings ormaterials upon the bottom surface 110 and/or may include the flexiblecoatings or materials in alternative positions or configurations alongthe bottom surface 110. For example, a flexible coating or material witha higher coefficient of friction relative to its surrounding materialsmay be placed on a rear area of a bottom surface of a ride vehicle toallow a rider to lean backwards in an attempt to slow or brake the ridevehicle, such as at an exiting portion of a water attraction. In anotherexample, a flexible coating or material with a lower coefficient offriction relative to its surrounding materials may be placed on a frontarea of a bottom surface of a ride vehicle to allow a rider to leanforwards in an attempt to increase the speed of the ride vehicle.

FIG. 2A shows a top view of a ride vehicle 200 having an inflatableportion. The ride vehicle 200 may include the same or similar featuresas previously discussed for FIG. 1. Similar to the discussion above, theride vehicle 200 includes a front end 202 and a rear end 204 and isconfigured to support a rider in contact therewith when traveling down asliding surface of a water attraction. Alternative embodiments mayutilize modified dimensions or different shapes, sizes, orconfigurations other than those explicitly illustrated in the embodimentof FIG. 2A. A top surface 205 of the ride vehicle 200 is configured tomake contact with at least a portion of a rider when used to slide upona sliding surface of a water or other amusement attraction. Hand holds(206, 207) are coupled with the top surface 205 of the ride vehicle 200to help the rider maintain contact and/or maneuver with the ride vehicle200 during use. The hand holds (206, 207) may be handlebars that extendoutward from the top surface 205 to allow the rider to hold onto or maybe any other type of hold that allows the rider improved grip on theride vehicle 200 (e.g., indentations, pockets, or cutouts for the riderto insert one or more fingers). Greater or fewer hand holds may bepositioned on the ride vehicle 200 in alternative embodiments.

An inflatable portion 209 of the ride vehicle 200 is coupled or fastenedwith the top surface 205. In certain embodiments, the inflatable portion209 may be integrally formed with the top surface 205. The inflatableportion 209 extends beneath the top surface 205 and out to the side, forexample around a perimeter of the top surface 205 as demonstrated inFIGS. 2A-2D. The inflatable portion 209 may be filled with air or otherfluids (e.g., helium, water, etc.), for example, via an opening 212 thatis covered by a cap 208 after fill in order to maintain the air or otherfluid within the inflatable portion 209. As shown in FIG. 2B, whichshows a bottom view of the ride vehicle 200 of FIG. 2A, at least a partof the inflatable portion 209 forms a bottom surface 210 of the ridevehicle 200. The bottom surface 210 is configured to slide upon asliding surface of a water or other amusement attraction. Similar to theprevious discussion above for FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, theinflatable portion 209 may inflate flat or substantially flat, may be adrop stitch material, and may be replaceable on the ride vehicle 200. Analternative embodiment may use other materials for the inflatableportion 209.

FIG. 2C shows a side view of the ride vehicle 200. As demonstrated, theinflatable portion 209 may make up sidewalls of the ride vehicle 200 inaddition to being disposed along a bottom of the ride vehicle 200. Thefront end 202 of the ride vehicle 200 is curved upwards by an angle 225from the plane 227 that substantially lies along at least part of thebottom surface 210. This curvature may help increase the speed that theride vehicle 200 can travel down a water attraction or may increaserider comfort by helping eliminate splashes of water from hitting therider's eyes or face. The angle 225 can be any desired angle from theplane 227. In alternative embodiments, no angle 225 from the plane 227may be used (e.g., 0 deg.).

FIG. 2D shows a front view of the ride vehicle 200 and demonstrates theinflatable portion 209 coupled to the top surface 205 to make up thebottom surface 210 and sidewalls of the ride vehicle 200. In addition tothe curvature of the inflatable portion 209 at the front end 202, asshown and discussed above for FIG. 2C, the inflatable portion 209 mayalso be curved upward at the sides by angles (235, 237) with respect tothe plane 227 that substantially lies along at least part of the bottomsurface 210. Angles (235, 237) may be equal to each other or may bedifferent from one another. Angles (235, 237) may be constant or maychange along the curvature (e.g., the inflatable portion 209 may beformed with an increasing curvature). These curvatures that form arounded underside may help in the maneuverability or steerability of theride vehicle 200 by the rider, for example, when the rider pulls orpushes on one or more of the hand holds (206, 207).

A coating may be disposed upon all or some of the inflatable portion209, for example, the bottom surface 210. The coating may be a flexiblecoating that is applied to the inflatable portion 209, for example, toaid in obtaining a low friction ride surface on the bottom surface 210of the ride vehicle and/or to help cover seams or joints that may bepresent on the ride vehicle 200. Preferably, the coating bonds or keysproperly to the inflatable portion 209 while accommodating movement. Ina preferred embodiment, the flexible coating may be a polymer coatingand/or aliphatic compounds that is applied to the inflatable portion209.

The application of the coating may be performed by any of a number oftechniques, including spraying on the coating, rolling on the coating,brushing on the coating, etc. In one embodiment, the coating may beapplied to the inflatable portion 209 that is fully inflated orsubstantially inflated and is allowed to cure prior to substantialdeflation of the inflatable portion 209. The coating may additionally oralternatively be applied to areas of the ride vehicle 200 that are notinflatable. In still other embodiments, the coating may be applied to asliding surface of the water attraction itself. In a preferredembodiment, the coating will be resistant to chlorine or otherwisecompatible with the chlorine levels that are typical or expected in awater attraction where the ride vehicle 200 will be used. The coatingmay additionally or alternatively be resistant to ultraviolet (“UV”)damage from the sun.

Turning next to FIG. 3, a perspective view of a water attraction 300having an inflatable portion and side containments is shown. The waterattraction 300 includes an entry or starting area 302, an exit area 304,and a sliding surface 310 disposed therebetween. In one embodiment, thesliding surface 310 may be approximately 6 meters in width W. The exitarea 304 may merely be a surface positioned at the end of the slidingsurface 310 for allowing a rider to stand and walk away (e.g., may havea lower frictional coefficient than the sliding surface 310) from thesliding surface 310 or may be any of a variety of other exiting designs(e.g., a splash pool, a beach, etc.). In use, a rider enters the waterattraction 300 via the entry area 302, travels along the sliding surface310 towards the exit area 304, and subsequently exits via the exit area304. The water attraction 310 may be ridden by a rider using their bodyalone or by incorporating a ride vehicle (e.g., the ride vehicle 100 orthe ride vehicle 200 previously discussed in FIGS. 1-2D.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the entry area 302 ispositioned at a higher elevation than the exit area 304, such that thesliding surface 310 is sloped downward from the entry area 302 to theexit area 304. Alternative embodiments may position an entry area lowerthan the exit area, or at the same level as the exit area. One or morenozzles 312 are positioned near or adjacent to the entry area 302 forsupplying a flow of water onto the sliding surface 310. The flow ofwater travels from the nozzles 312 and along the sliding surface 310.Thus, the movement of water and/or gravity acts to transfer a rider onthe water attraction 300 from the entry area 302 to the exit area 304.Any number of nozzles 312 may be used in a particular embodiment (e.g.,one or more nozzles). Any of a variety of devices or means may be usedin addition to or in replacement of the nozzles 312 for providing wateronto the sliding surface 310, for example, a sluice, water jets, waterpumps, etc. The nozzles 312 may be directional nozzles that arepositioned to direct water flow in a specific, desired direction ororientation along the sliding surface 310.

A plurality of side containments 330 are positioned along outer edges ofthe sliding surface 310 and define a plurality of auxiliary exitlocations (320, 321, 322, 323) at the sides of the water attraction 300.The side containments 330 may be any of a variety of heights in order tohelp keep the rider within a desired riding area along the slidingsurface 310 and prevent the rider from unintentionally falling off theside of the water attraction 300. The side containments 330 may definegreater or fewer exit locations (or may be continuous along outer edgesof the sliding surface so as not to define any exit locations) in analternative embodiment.

The sliding surface 310 incorporates a plurality of humps or hills (340,342, 344). The first hill 340 has a first elevation H1 that may be 3meters in one embodiment. The second hill 342 has a second elevation H2that may be 2 meters in one embodiment. The third hill 344 has a thirdelevation H3 that may be 1.5 meters in one embodiment. Thus, a rider onthe sliding surface 310 will experience a series of rises and drops asthey travel down the sliding surface 310 from the entry area 302 to theexit end 304. In an alternative embodiment, any number of humps or hillswith varying elevations may be used or no humps or hills may beincorporated. In certain embodiments, additional nozzles may be placedalong the sliding surface 310 to move or direct a rider in varyingdirections. For example, in one embodiment, one or more nozzles may beplaced near or adjacent to the exit area 304 for moving or directing arider back towards the entry area 302 and/or for allowing a rider toremain near one of the heights (H1, H2, H3) and skim laterally along thesliding surface 310. In another example embodiment, one or more nozzlesmay be placed adjacent to the sides to move or direct the rider inalternative directions along the rider's travel from the entry area 302to the exit area 304 in order to provide a more thrilling or enjoyableride experience.

All or a portion of the sliding surface 310 may be formed using aninflatable structure or material that is covered with a coating, thefeatures of which are the same or similar to the inflatable features andcoatings as previously discussed for FIGS. 1-2D. In a preferredembodiment, the inflatable structure or material will inflatesubstantially flat (e.g., may comprise a drop stitch material) and maybe 50 mm in thickness when inflated. In certain embodiments, the entryarea 302 and/or the exit area 304 may also comprise an inflatablestructure or material that is covered with a coating. In one example, acoating with a higher frictional coefficient may be used on the entryarea 302 and/or the exit area 304 when compared with the coating used onthe sliding surface 310 in order to lessen the risk of slipping orfalling of riders as they attempt to enter or exit the ride. Moreover,portions of the sliding surface 310 may have applied coatings withvarying frictional coefficients (e.g., a higher frictional coefficientnear, on, or adjacent to the exit locations (320, 321, 322, 323) and/orthe side containments 330 to help slow down riders that get undesirablyclose to the side edges of the sliding surface 310. In addition, areasof the sliding surface 310 near or adjacent to the exit area 304 mayhave applied a coating with a higher frictional coefficient to similarlyreduce the speed of a rider traveling on the sliding surface 310 as theynear the exit area 304.

Turning next to FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C a perspective view, a side view anda top view, respectively, of a water attraction 400 having an inflatableportion and without side containments is shown. The water attraction 400may include the same or similar features as previously discussed. Thewater attraction 400 is shown without side containments and includes awater reservoir 460 (see FIG. 4B) disposed beneath at least a part of anentry area 402, an exit area 404, and a sliding surface 410. Similar tothe water attraction 300, the water attraction 400 flows 405 water oranother fluid (e.g., via nozzles or another water delivery method) alongthe surface of the sliding surface 410. In one embodiment, the flow 405should be sufficiently fast to reach the exit area 404.

The sliding surface 410 is formed of an inflatable structure or materialand coated with a flexible coating and includes a plurality of humps orhills (440, 442, 444) at a variety of heights (e.g., 3 meters, 2 meters,and 1.5 meters, respectively). In one embodiment, one or more of thehumps or hills (440, 442, 444) may be an individual section or componentsuch that they can be removed or replaced, for example with othersections or components, such as obstacles, while the remainder of theride remains intact. Using the exit area 404 as the base elevation(e.g., 0 meters), the entry area 402 may be at a respective 3 meterheight and the water reservoir 460 may extend 0.5 meters lower than theexit area 404. In an alternative embodiment, any of a variety ofdiffering dimensions may be used.

A plantroom 480 is housed beneath, near, or adjacent to the entry area402 for housing water pumps, piping, or other assorted equipment usedfor transporting the water or other fluid from the water reservoir 460to the sliding surface 410. The plantroom 480 may be a permanentconcrete structure in one embodiment, the top or roof of which serves asthe entry area 402 of the water attraction 400. In this fashion, sealingproblems of the plantroom 480 and/or improved energy efficiency insupplying water by equipment in the plantroom 480 may be minimized, asdiscussed in greater detail for FIGS. 5A-5C. A plurality of exitlocations (420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425) (see FIG. 4C) (e.g., at a 0meter height with respect to the exit end 404) are positioned along thesides of the sliding surface 410.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C show a perspective view, a top view and a sideview, respectively, of a water attraction 500 having an inflatableportion with side containments and a plantroom structure. The waterattraction 500 may include the same or similar features as previouslydiscussed. The water attraction 500 is shown with an option for sidecontainments 595 (e.g., walls, railings, and/or other barriers) thatoperate to help keep a rider on a sliding surface 510. In oneembodiment, the side containments may be 500 meters high. A waterreservoir 560 is disposed beneath at least a part of an entry area 502,an exit area 504, and the sliding surface 510. Similar to the waterattractions 300 and/or 400 (see FIGS. 3-4C), the water attraction 500flows 505 water or another fluid along the sliding surface 510. Waternozzles 512 or another type of water delivery mechanism may be used toprovide the flow 505 in a desired direction or path along the waterattraction 500. In one embodiment, the flow 505 should be sufficientlyfast to reach the exit area 504 without substantially spilling ordraining of the sides of the sliding surface 510.

Similar to the previous discussions, the sliding surface 510 is formedof an inflatable structure or material and coated with a flexiblecoating and includes a plurality of humps or hills (540, 542, 544) of avariety of heights (e.g., 3 meters, 2 meters, and 1.5 meters,respectively). An alternative embodiment may use different dimensions.Located at the base of one or more of the hills are side exits (520,521, 522, 523, 524, 525) that allow a rider to exit from the slidingsurface at those locations prior to traveling all the way to the exitend 504. A grated surface or drain (e.g., constructed of fiberglass)covering may be used at the side exits (520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525)and/or the exit area 504 to help drain water that drips from an exitingrider or that spills off from the flow 505 on the sliding surface 510into the water reservoir 560. This may help reduce the amount of waterdepleted from the ride during operation and/or help increase ride safetyby making the side exits (520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525) and/or the exitarea 504 less slippery for riders walking thereon. Greater or fewer sideexits may be utilized in an alternative embodiment. In one embodiment,one or more of the humps or hills (540, 542, 544) may be an individualsection or component such that they can be removed or replaced, forexample with other sections or components, such as obstacles, while theremainder of the ride remains intact.

A plantroom 580 makes up at least a part of the entry area 502 and isused for housing water pumps, piping, and other assorted equipment usedfor transporting the water or other fluid from the water reservoir 560to the sliding surface 510. The plantroom 580 may be a permanentconcrete structure in one embodiment, the top or roof of which serves asthe entry area 502 of the water attraction 500. As shown, the nozzles512 are attached onto or are adjacent, but not attached, to the roof ofthe plant room 580 and direct the flow 505 away from the plant room 580and onto the sliding surface 510, thus providing reduced sealingproblems from the plant room 580 since little to no water will bepresent on the roof of the plant room 580.

A cover or flap 590 extends over a portion of the sliding surface 510near the entry area 502 and extends to and/or attaches to the plant room580 (e.g. to the concrete roof of the plant room 580) in front of thenozzles 512 in order to provide a smooth and/or safe surface connectingthe entry area 502 to the sliding surface 510. In an alternativeembodiment, the cover or flap 590 may extend over all or a portion ofthe nozzles 512 to prevent rider interference with the nozzles 512.

The plant room 580 is configured to contain equipment (e.g., waterpumps, piping, etc.) for providing water from the water reservoir 560 tothe nozzles 512. In one embodiment, one water pump 596 may be used foroperating five nozzles 512. In an alternative embodiment, two smallerwater pumps may be used. With the nozzles 512 located on or adjacent tothe roof of the plant room 580 and directing water immediately downwardor horizontally onto the sliding surface 510, and not up in upwardlysloping direction, the necessary water velocity when exiting the nozzles512 may be reduced or lower than would otherwise be required, thusproviding energy savings during ride operation. The height 562 (see FIG.5C) of the water reservoir 560 depends upon the suction head and/orsizing of the water pump 596 and may be adjusted as desired in differentembodiments. For example, in one embodiment, if greater suction head isdesired, the height 562 of the water reservoir 560 may be increased atonly the side of the reservoir 560 that is near or adjacent to theplantroom 580.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an alternative embodiment of a water attraction600 using an inflatable structure or material, the same or similar aspreviously discussed. The water attraction 600, however, is configuredto provide water uphill over an inflatable structure, for example, forsurfing upon the flow of water on an inclined area. FIG. 6A shows a rearperspective view of the water attraction 600 and includes a ride surface605, sidewalls 610, access areas 615, and a dewatering zone 620. Similarto previous discussions, the ride surface 605 may be formed, at least inpart, by an inflatable material (e.g., a drop stitch or drop threadmaterial). The sidewalls 610 may also be formed, at least in part, viathe inflatable material. A lacing cover 630 is coupled between the ridesurface 605 and the sidewalls 610 for covering the seam and/or joints atthe perimeter of the ride surface 605. In an alternative embodiment, acoating or other barrier may be provided in addition to or inreplacement of the lacing cover 630. The sidewalls 610 at the accessareas 615 are lowered to support ease of access onto or off of the ridesurface 605. The dewatering zone 620 may be formed by a high tensilemesh material, for example, to allow water to flow or drain through thesurface at the dewatering zone 620 and into a reservoir or piping systembelow (e.g., a reservoir disposed beneath the ride surface 605).

A tensioning tube 630 or other mechanism for tightening or tautening theride surface 605 may be provided, either along an exterior of the waterattraction 600 or contained within an interior of the water attraction600 (e.g., within a reservoir disposed beneath the ride surface 605). Asseen in FIG. 6B, which demonstrates a front perspective view of thewater attraction 600, water pump connections 640 are provided forconnecting the water pump, nozzle, and/or jet system to the waterattraction 600. The water pump connections 640 may be standardizedacross a product line in order to support a variety of water flows(e.g., faster or slower, greater volume or less volume, etc.) upon theride surface 605 based on the size or capability of the water pumps,nozzles, and/or jets that are connected.

FIGS. 6C and 6D show the water attraction 600 from a top view and a sideview, respectively. As illustrated in the embodiment shown, the ridesurface 605 may have three different zones, a delivery zone 650 wherewater is provided onto the ride surface 605, an entry/exit zone 655where riders may enter or exit the ride surface 605, and a riding zone660 where riders may ride or maneuver upon the ride surface 605. Astructure 670 that houses or is coupled with water pumps and/or nozzles(681, 682, 683, 684) is positioned near or adjacent to the delivery zone650 for the flowing of water from the water pumps and/or nozzles (681,682, 683, 684) onto the ride surface 605. The water pumps and/or nozzles(681, 682, 683, 684) may interface with the water pump connections 640shown on FIG. 6B. A reservoir 690 for receiving water from thedewatering zone 620 prior to its provision onto the ride surface 605 viathe water pumps and/or nozzles (681, 682, 683, 684) is located below theride surface 605.

Although the embodiments shown and described above feature waterattractions having particular configurations or shapes, an inflatableportion and/or coating applied to the inflatable portion may beimplemented on any of a variety of water or other attractions. In oneexample, entry and/or exit areas or locations for a water ride maydiffer from those explicitly shown in the embodiments illustrated (e.g.,an entry location may be above, below, or at the same level as one ormore exit locations). In another example, a water attraction, such as astanding wave surfing ride, may have its entire main structure orsliding surface as an inflatable structure or made from an inflatablematerial. Alternatively, a water attraction, such as a standing wavesurfing ride, may only be constructed with partially inflatablestructures (e.g., at the entry and exit points and/or the slidingsurface or riding area). In dewatering areas of a water attraction, suchas at the exit points, an integral netting or grating may be used inplace of, or in conjunction with, the inflatable materials at thoselocations.

The inflatable portion or portions may be used to help increase riderspeed (e.g., via a low coefficient of friction coating applied to theinflatable portion), reduce rider speed (e.g., via a high coefficient offriction coating applied to the inflatable portion), or aid in changingthe orientation of a rider or ride vehicle (e.g., via a combination of alow coefficient of friction coating and a high coefficient of frictioncoating applied to the inflatable portion in proximity to one another).In an alternative embodiment, instead or in addition to a coatingapplied to the inflatable material, a separate material or surface(e.g., a polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) sheet) may be coupled or fastened ontop of the inflatable material. Materials or surfaces other than PVC maybe used in an alternative embodiment. The inflatable portion may bepositioned at any desired location along the water attraction, forexample, to provide a less rigid surface for more comfortably supportingriding thereon and/or to absorb an impact of the rider or a ridevehicle. For example, the inflatable structure may be completely aboveground, completely below ground, or partially above and below ground. Insome embodiments, a water reservoir of the water attraction may be madeof the inflatable material.

A water attraction using an inflatable portion or portions may bemodular in nature such that it may be more easily manufactured,transportable, and/or constructed on a given location. For example, awater attraction using an inflatable portion or portions may be designedto be portable such that it is intended to be used at a given geographiclocation for a short period and then deflated and/or deconstructed andshipped to a new location.

The previous description of the disclosed examples is provided to enableany person of ordinary skill in the art to make or use the disclosedmethods and apparatus. Accordingly, the terminology employed throughoutshould be read in a non-limiting manner. Various modifications to theseexamples will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and theprinciples defined herein may be applied to other examples withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the disclosed method andapparatus. The described embodiments are to be considered in allrespects only as illustrative and not restrictive and the scope of theinvention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than bythe foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the disclosed apparatus and methods. The steps of the method oralgorithm may also be performed in an alternate order from thoseprovided in the examples.

What is claimed is:
 1. An amusement attraction comprising: a slidingsurface configured to support a rider thereon, the sliding surfaceextending from a first area to a second area and wherein at least a partof the sliding surface includes an inflatable material; and a firstcoating applied to at least a portion of the inflatable material.
 2. Thewater attraction of claim 1 wherein the inflatable material isconfigured to inflate flat.
 3. The water attraction of claim 2 whereinthe inflatable material comprises a drop stitch material.
 4. The waterattraction of claim 3 wherein the first coating is a flexible coatingconfigured to allow for flexing of the inflatable portion.
 5. The waterattraction of claim 4 wherein the first coating comprises a polymercoating.
 6. The water attraction of claim 4 wherein the first coatingcomprises at least one aliphatic compound.
 7. The water attraction ofclaim 3 wherein the first coating applied to the inflatable material hasa lower coefficient of friction than the inflatable material for helpingthe rider to slide along the sliding surface from the first area to thesecond area.
 8. The water attraction of claim 7 further comprising asecond coating applied to at least a portion of the inflatable materialadjacent to the second area, the second coating having a highercoefficient of friction than the first coating for slowing the rider asthe rider nears the second area.
 9. The water attraction of claim 1wherein the sliding surface defines at least one hill that extends to anelevation higher than an adjacent elevation of the sliding surface. 10.A water attraction comprising: a sliding surface configured to support arider thereon, the sliding surface extending from an entry end to anexit end and wherein at least a part of the sliding surface is aninflatable material; a first coating applied to a first portion of theinflatable material and configured to aid in sliding the rider from theentry end to the exit end along the sliding surface; and a secondcoating applied to a second portion of the inflatable material andconfigured to slow the rider after the rider slides along the slidingsurface.
 11. The water attraction of claim 10 further comprising atleast one side containment positioned at a perimeter edge of the slidingsurface for aiding in keeping the rider on the sliding surface.
 12. Thewater attraction of claim 10 further comprising at least one nozzlepositioned adjacent to the entry end and configured to provide a flow ofwater onto the sliding surface, the flow of water flowing from the entryend to the exit end.
 13. The water attraction of claim 12 furthercomprising a plantroom having a roof for housing a water pump connectedwith the at least one nozzle, the roof of the plantroom being at least aportion of the entry end.
 14. The water attraction of claim 13 whereinthe flow of water is configured to exit the nozzle and flow to a lowerelevation on the sliding surface before flowing to a higher elevation onthe sliding surface.
 15. The water attraction of claim 14 furthercomprising a reservoir disposed beneath the sliding surface, whereinwater is configured to flow from the at least one nozzle onto thesliding surface, onto the exit end, and into the reservoir via the exitend.
 16. A ride vehicle for a rider to use on an amusement attractioncomprising: a first material defining a first surface, at least aportion of the first surface configured to contact at least a portion ofthe rider, the first surface having a front end, a rear end, and a sideend; an inflatable material coupled with the first material and defininga second surface, at least a portion of the second surface configured tocontact a sliding surface of the amusement attraction; and a firstflexible coating applied to the inflatable material for lowering africtional force exerted by the sliding surface of the water attraction.17. The ride vehicle of claim 16 further comprising at least one handhold.
 18. The ride vehicle of claim 17 wherein the hand hold is ahandlebar coupled with the first material or a depression in the firstmaterial
 19. The ride vehicle of claim 16 further comprising a secondflexible coating applied to the inflatable material, the second flexiblecoating having a higher coefficient of friction than the first flexiblecoating.
 20. The ride vehicle of claim 19 wherein: the first flexiblecoating is disposed a first distance from a perimeter edge of theinflatable material, the second flexible coating is disposed a seconddistance from the perimeter edge of the inflatable material, and thesecond distance is less than the first distance.